Here we have a nuclear submarine. There is often some confusion as to what this means, so it does mean that it is powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily that it has nuclear weapons on board.
They were first thought of by a physicist working for the American Naval Research Laboratory, way back in 1939, but for some reason, maybe because of plans falling into enemy hands if America was invaded, they were not worked on right until 1946, and no construction began for another five years.
This craft was named Nautilus, with a nod to Jules Verne, whose own submarine by that name was first written of in 1870, and which also had a revolutionary (and not yet possible) fuel system. for it was powered by electricity - the first submarine to actually be powered in that way being the Peral, belonging to the Spanish Navy, who was not launched until 1888.
The submarine on this card is HMS Dreadnought, which was the first nuclear submarine to be used by Great Britain. This is not proof that the British set came first, just that Canada did not, and continues to not, have any nuclear submarines. HMS Dreadnought was built as a kind of co-production between America and Britain, the Americans supplying the reactor and some of the designs.
This set is recorded in our original British Trade Index part two under Brooke Bond, where the header states : "2. Issues with rounded corners. Issued in North America by Brooke Bond Canada Ltd. and Brooke Bond Tea Co., Inc. Small size 68 x 37 m/m." They are described as :
SERIES 10. TRANSPORTATION THROUGH THE AGES. Sm. Nd. (48). CU.10. Back with Montreal address, top line in (a) red (b) black. The two printings are not identical, e.g. No.29 shows a different picture ... BRM-35
Mr. John Levitt has contacted us to say that in the latest Brooke Bond Tea Cards Reference Book, which was completely revised in 2021, there has been several changes. The text there reads :
Transportation through the Ages
Size 69 x 37mm with rounded corners. Coloured numbered series of 48 inscribed "Series No. 10" with bilingual text in English and French. Backs printed in black & red text, issued in Canada.
There are two printings of this set with the Montreal address black & red text on back
- (A) back with top line of text in red ... CU10.1-A
- (B) back with top line of text in black ... CU10.1-B
There are also two printings of card number 29 with top line of text in black
- (A) Building on right at border of the card 1 set of three windows plus 1 tree
(B) Building on right at border of the card 3 sets of three windows plus 1 treeSpecial album issued (no insert issued).
Wallchart issuedNote: The identical set was also issued in the USA.
The album was available at grocers for 25 cents, or by sending a coupon, plus a package or label from any Red Rose or Blue Ribbon product, to "Dept P.C. Brooke Bond Canada Limited, 5415 Cote de Liesse, Montreal 9, Quebec." You could send for more than one album at a time, but you had to send a package or label for each one. The album also has a code number printed on the front - this one is CU.10.
I find it intriguing that the main difference between the version issued in the United Kingdom and this Canadian one does not seem to be stressed anywhere - and that is the number in the set, our set being fifty cards and the Canadian being forty-eight. I asked if anyone knew which the missing two were, and I actually got sent a comparison list, from Mr. Whyte, which proves it is a lot more complicated than that - so I am delighted to be able to publish it here. Just to save you hunting, the two missing cards are the monorail (British no.30) and the oil tanker (British no.27) but there are also many other differences, including curious transpositions of numbers. I have straight pasted it in, so (B) is the British version and (C) the Canadian.
- (B)(C) Elephant
- (B)(C) Camel
- (B) Dog Sledge
- (B) Ox Wagon - (C) Chariot
- (B) Chariot - (C) Ox Wagon
- (B)(C) Stage Coach
- (B)(C) Horse Tram
- (B)(C) The Bicycle
- (B) Kayak - (C) Galley
- (B) Galley - (C) Kayak
- (B)(C) Horse Barge
- (B)(C) East Indiaman
- (B)(C) Tea Clipper
- (B)(C) Hot Air Balloon
- (B)(C) Gas Balloon
- (B)(C) Steam Coach
- (B) Steam Wagon - (C) Stephenson`s Rocket
- (B) Stephenson`s Rocket - (C) Steam Wagon
- (B)(C) Modern Steam Locomotive
- (B)(C) Diesel Locomotive
- (B)(C) Gas Turbine Locomotive
- (B)(C) The Comet
- (B)(C) Mississippi River Steamer
- (B)(C) The Great Eastern
- (B)(C) Turbinia
- (B)(C) Modern Ocean Liner
- (B) Oil Tanker - (C) Electric Tram
- (B) Electric Tram - (C) Electric Locomotive
- (B) Electric Locomotive - (C) London Bus
- (B) Monorail - (C) Early Motor Car
- (B) Early Motor Car - (C) Bluebird
- (B) Bluebird - (C) Motor Cycle
- (B) Motor Cycle - (C) Sno-Cat
- (B) Sno-Cat - (C) The Wright Brothers Aeroplane
- (B) The Wright Brothers Aeroplane - (C) Airship
- (B) Airship - (C) Early Airliner
- (B) Early Airliner - (C) Flying Boat
- (B) Flying Boat - (C) Supermarine Schneider Trophy Plane
- (B) Supermarine Schneider Trophy Plane - (C) Helicopter - but it is actually the Westland Whirlwind HCC Mk.12 off British card 41
- (B) Transport Aircraft - (C) First Turbojet Airliner
- (B) Westland Whirlwind HCC Mk.12 - (C) Boeing 727
- (B) First Turbojet Airliner - (C) Variable Wing Aircraft
- (B) Modern Jet Airliner - (C) The Mesoscaphe
- (B) Variable Wing Aircraft - (C) Hydrofoil
- (B) The Mesoscaphe - (C) Hovercraft
- (B) Hydrofoil - (C) Nuclear Ship
- (B) Hovercraft - (C) Nuclear Submarine
- (B) Nuclear Ship - (C) Apollo Space Rocket
- (B) Nuclear Submarine - (C) number not issued
- (B) Space Rocket - (C) number not issued